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Monday, October 22, 2007

Comme Des Sardines Chocolat

On the first day of the Paris transit strike as M. and I crossed the Pont Neuf, we saw workers pour into the Metro. M. said they will be packing into the few trains available "comme des sardines". I said we have the same expression - "packed in like sardines"! M. was surprised, but it's a universal concept afterall.

They're all filled with rich chocolate ganache. These sardines will traditionally end up in many French Christmas stockings.All the chocolate fish were being sold at the Il de la Re Chocolats'stand, made on a popular resort island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle. Getting to the Salon du chocolat entailed stacking into the Metro... Very much like those chocolate sardines - The tin closes. Inside the sardines are mashed but for a good reason.

Sign me up for that school any day! What fun! C'est normal the faces seem to say on the train. The best way to see a city is to live it. Thanks to you, we get to taste a little bit ourselves. Merci, merci, merci. All best , Jan

Squeeze me, stuck me, as long as chocolate and ganache is involved in it, I won't complain. :-)

I noticed that they sell a lot of these sardines at the Viennese Christmas markets also. I keep wondering if there's any story behind those chocolates masquerading as sardines and showing up in Christmas stockings.

Carol, I can almost smell the chocolate! Alas, the only thing I have here at work is peanut M&Ms in the vending machine. Not even close! Starting now I am keeping a list of places you visit that I must try to get to on my next trip to Paris. This post is lovely. I hope there will be some chocolate-related watercolors when you return to life as usual.

Mais oui...In Spanish we also have the expression"como sardinas en lata"("As canned sardines")Really I think it's more exact because when sardines are"swiming"in the Ocean, they are in "open water" ;DSo now I know how my shoes feel in the closet...comme des sardines.

Yeaaa.. that the Squishing is over for you. Nice for you to continue on the rest of your time there with less hassels. It kind of gave me claustrophobia looking at it. Yikes. You certainly get to know your fellowman well there. lol

I'm Really enjoying your trip with you. Can't wait for the watercolors. and hope we get to see some of your sketches eventually too.

Chocolate sardines in Christmas stockings? I'm quite sure that Williams Sonoma offers them as "traditional French" April Fools food. In fact, I think I've read about that tradition in cooking magazines, too. Of course, let's not be sticklers: I would not object to finding them in MY Christmas stocking.....Odd that the sight of all those silvery shiny fish did not send me scurring to the pantry in search of a tin, but the chocolate !!! The chocolate sent me to the kitchen to brew a cup of cocoa - this time, not from Dorrie Greenspan's recipe or from yours but a respectable cup made with Vahlrona unsweetened cocoa powder.

Yes, yes, I want chocolate class! But not so much the train ride. We had one like that leaving Bologna at the end of the day - it was so packed that we ended up having to stand 'illegally' in the inbetween spaces between cars. All hot and sweaty and much too close to other hot and sweaty people. For nearly 45 minutes until it cleared enough to get a seat.... ergh...

PARIS in yr Mailbox!

♥carol gillott♥

l'Ile Saint Louis, Paris, Ile de France, France

Hi I'm Carol Gillott,
My Mom taught me watercolors at 5 and I'm still at it. Now I live by the Seine on l'Ile Saint-Louis. Do consider subscribing to my Paris letters and maps on Etsy and enjoy a taste of Paris in your mailbox every month to savor with a hot chocolate and croissant. I paint Paris dreams.